Amusement device



Um. 6, NW N. s. DEYE 32%,246

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Sept. 10, 1964 INVENTOR. Man. 5. DEYE United States Patent 3,289,246 AMUSEMENT DEVHCIE Neil S. Deye, 1769 Simpson Drive, Columbus, Ohio Filed Sept. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 395,403 3 Claims. (Cl. 18-1) The present invention relates to a method and means of compacting agglomerate material and particularly to an improved mold-like device for packing compressible material such as snow into brick forms.

The device of the present invention is primarily intended as a toy for children, that is, the bricks produced may be used to construct toy houses, forts, walls, and

e used as hand missles in playful snow fights. Other utilitarian uses of the product made by the device of the invention will be apparent.

There are many prior art devices that mold, cast, compress, compact or otherwise form loose, pliable, or liquid material into solid objects. These devices have proven to be versatile, having superior design and are quite successful in the formation of many types and varieties of products. One distinct disadvantage of each of the devices is that they range from the moderate to an extremely complicated design. These designs, therefore, preclude huge volume production at a price range in the commercial toy class. The present invention is exceptionally simple in design readily lending itself to a relatively inexpensive cost of construction.

It is accordingly the principal object of the present invention to provide a new and improved mold type of implement for forming snow or like material into brick or solid object forms.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a mold type of implement for forming solid objects that is extremely simple in design and readily adapts itself to mass production at a relatively low manufacturing cost.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an over-all isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is another view generally intended to present a side view of the preferred embodiment;

FIGURE 3 is still another view generally intended to present an end view of the preferred embodiment; and,

FIGURE 4 is a variation of the preferred embodiment of the lever handle.

Referring now generally to the several figures, the invention comprises a pair of box-like housings or molds and 20, a pair of handles 30 and 40 hingedly connected as 50 and 60 to form levers, with one end of each of the levers connected to one side of a box-like housing.

More specifically, the molds 10 and are each boxlike. The mold 20 comprises the four sides 21, 22, 23, 24, and back side 25. The mold 10 comprises the four sides 11, 12, 13, 14 and the back side 15. The two box'like molds are substantially identical in construction and may be made of wood or metal. For mass production purposes, a suitable plastic material may be utilized. The inside of the box-like structure should be smooth to inhibit adhering of the material being molded. If wood is used, an application of an oily substance will assist in preventing adhering.

The handle-like levers and are generally elongated and are closed at one end and fixed to a respective box-like mold at their other end. The handle 30 comprises elongated members 31 and 32 and cross bar member 33. Similarly, handle 40 comprises elongated members 41 and 42 and cross bar member 43. The cross bar members 33 and 43 are for purposes of utilizing the lever action of the elongated members and may comprise a fixedly positioned cross bar, or may be as shown, an integrally formed continuous structure. The integrally formed construction more readily adapts itself to tubing and hence the entire structure 30 or 40 may be one continuous piece that is generally U shaped. However, if the elongated members of the levers are made of wood, then a handle may be riveted or bolted to the ends thereof.

It may be more expedient in certain circumstances to provide a single member handle rather than the U shaped structure as shown. With reference to FIGURE 4, specifically, a single elongated member forms a handle and another member (not shown) forms the second handle. The uppermost ends of the handles provide the gripping portions for action. At the lowermost ends of the member 80, there is formed the inverted V section 81 and 82 having reentrant ends 83 and 84. The ends 83 and 84 are similar to the ends 34 and 35 of FIGURE 1 for securing the handles of the box-like members. The ends 83 and 84 are sufiiciently dispersed to apply compression over substantially all of said box-like molds.

At the opposite end of the U shaped handle-levers, there is fixedly attached one of the box-like molds. As shown in the figures, the handle 30 has its ends 34 and 35 attached to the back side 15 of the mold 10. The securing means 36 and 37 may be rivets, nuts and bolts, or other integrally fastening means capable of securing the handle ends to the molds. The ends of the handle 40 is similarly attached to the box-like mold 20.

At a fulcrum point, the elongated members 32 and 41 and the elongated members 31 and 42 are hinged'ly joined by pins or pivot means 60 and 50 respectively. The fulcrum point to provide maximum leverage will be sub stantially closer to the mold ends than the handle ends. Also, to provide a close leverage, elongated members have a bend imparted thereto such as at 52 and 62.

To provide the proper mold action, the two box-like structures 10 and 20 must be positioned so that they are in relative contact at all points along these edges when brought together. This is accomplished in the present invention by imparting an additional bend, such as shown by 51 and 61, to the elongated members. The degree of bend may be empirically arrived at, and, of course, will vary somewhat depending upon the position of the leverage hinges 50 and 60.

The operation of the device of the present invention is simple and may readily be accomplished by a small child. Essentially, the two box-like molds are filled with snow, wet sand, or other agglomerate material and then brought together by the lever action of the two handles. With the elongated members having a proper length, the lever action will provide sufficient pressure to be developed to cause the material to be compressed and to assume the shape of the mold.

Although a certain and specific embodiment of the present invention is shown and described, it is understood that modifications may be made thereto without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the kind described for compressing agglomerate material into a solid article comprising: a pair of rectangular box-like molds each having four sides and a back side, each of said sides of said molds being impervious to said agglomerate of continuous structure to form a closed housing capable of maintaining within said housing said agglomerate material and for compressing the same under pressure into rectangular solid article, a pair of elongated members each having one end thereof connected to the back side of one of said box-like molds, means for hingedly connecting said elongated members in a cross fashion at a fulcrum point, said elongated members having a bend imparted thereto of a sufficient degree to cause said box-like molds to continuously join at all four sides forming a completely enclosed structure when the other ends of said elongated members are advanced together.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said elongated members comprise a U shaped structure with the open ends thereof connected to said back side of said rectangular box-like molds.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said elongated members comprise a U-shaped structure with having one end thereof dispersed into a pair of U-shaped members, said members connected to the back sides of D. 99,543 Dv 190,405 354,422 604,436 1,199,880 1,206,108 1,323,582 1,751,811 1,787,331 1,985,094 3,169,034

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Geroux.

Barnes 257 X Jewett 249170 X Swartz 257 Eichelberger et a1. 107-48 Hansen et al. 29428 Dow 10748 Guilbault 249-108 X Wilson 294-118 Hilsenrath 249162 X Epstein 8l5.1

said rectangular box-like molds to apply compression to 15 J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner substantially all of said box-like molds. 

1. A DEVICE OF THE KIND DESCRIBED FOR COMPRESSING AGGLOMERATE MATERIAL INTO A SOLID ARTICLE COMPRISING: A PAIR OF RECTANGULAR BOX-LIKE MOLDS EACH HAVING FOUR SIDES AND A BACK SIDE, EACH OF SAID SIDES OF SAID MOLDS BEING IMPERVIOUS TO SAID AGGLOMERATE OF CONTINUOUS STRUCTURE TO FORM A CLOSED HOUSING CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING WITHIN SAID HOUSING SAID AGGLOMERATE MATERIAL AND FOR COMPRESSING THE SAME UNDER PRESSURE INTO RECTANGULAR SOLID ARTICLE, A PAIR OF ELONGATED MEMBERS EACH HAVING ONE END THEREOF CONNECTED TO THE BACK SIDE OF ONE OF SAID BOX-LIKE MOLDS, MEANS FOR HINGEDLY CONNECTING SAID ELONGATED MEMBERS IN A CROSS FASHION AT A FULCRUM POINT, SAID ELONGATED MEMBERS HAVING A BEND IMPARTED THERETO OF A SUFFICIENT DEGREE TO CAUSE SAID BOX-LIKE MOLDS TO CONTINUOUSLY JOIN AT ALL FOUR SIDES FORMING A COMPLETELY ENCLOSED STRUCTURE WHEN THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBERS ARE ADVANCED TOGETHER. 